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Fox getting first start at catcher Sunday

Fox getting first start at catcher Sunday

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ANAHEIM -- Jake Fox, who has spent parts of seven seasons in the Minors, is far from content right now.

Sure, he made the big league club this year.

Staying there, though, is key.

"What I'm trying to do is earn more time," Fox said, "and not gain it all in one day. In baseball, more than any other game, you have to slow things down, stick with the game plan and remember how you got here in the first place."

Fox's journey was an unusually long one, but the 27-year-old right-handed hitter is only concerned about the present, which will find him behind the plate for his first start at catcher Sunday.

Fox will team up with lefty Dallas Braden for the team's three-game series finale against the Angels, subsequently providing everyday starter Kurt Suzuki time to rejuvenate.

However, manager Bob Geren noted Saturday that Suzuki will likely stay in the lineup as a designated hitter against projected Los Angeles left-handed starter Joe Saunders.

For Fox, Sunday's contest will mark just his fourth Major League start in catcher's gear. He made his A's debut in the DH spot Wednesday against Seattle and spent most of his past playing time with the Cubs in the outfield, but was heavily relied upon this spring to aid the club's pitching staff.

Fox, out of options, batted .151 with three homers and nine RBIs in 25 games this spring and broke camp as the team's backup catcher, leaving Landon Powell out of the mix.